Thermostat lock



A. M. GETZ THERMOSTAT LOCK Jan. 30, 1934;

Filed Oct. 10, 1935 I nventor Attomy Patented Jan. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a lock for a thermostat or other heat control appliance, the general object of the invention being to provide means for preventing an unauthorized: person from 6 reaching the control lever of the thermostat and thus prevent one from overheating or underheating a building.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front view with parts broken 20 away, showing a thermostat provided with the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view with parts broken away.

In these views, the letter A indicates the casing of a thermostat and the letter (1 indicates the control lever thereof. In carrying out my invention, I fasten a plate 1 to the base 13 ofl the casing A, with a part of the plate depending below the casing and a slotted hasp plate or latch member 2 has its rear end hinged to the lower end of the plate 1, as shown at 3. A casing forming member 4 is soldered or otherwise fastened to the lower end of the body part of the casing A and extends over the lower part thereof and that part which carries the control lever a. A staple or keeper 5 is fastened to the bottom of the casing 4, so that when the parts are in closed position, the member 2 can be swung against the bottom of the casing 4 with the staple 5 passing through the slot in the hasp plate 2, after which a padlock 6 is passed through the staple to lock the parts together. A tongue 7 is formed on the top of the casing A and engages a slot 8 in the upper end of the base B to fasten the upper end of the casing to the upper end of the base. Thus this tongue and slot connection will prevent the upper part of the casing from being pulled from the base when the parts are locked together. Thus it will be seen that by unlocking the padlock and swinging the hasp plate 2 downwardly, the casing A with the casing 4 attached thereto can be removed from the base B, which forms the base of the thermostat and thus access to the parts within the casing A, as well as the control lever a, is provided for. As is usual in devices of this nature, the casing overlaps the base and this fact and the fact that the upper parts of the casing and base are enlarged, as shown in Figure 1, requires that the casing must be pulled outwardly and then lifted before the tongue '7 can be moved out of the slot 8. Thus with the hasp plate 2 placed over the staple 5, the casing cannot be swung outwardly so that there is no danger of the casing being separated from the base when the locking device is in operative position.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. In a device of the class described, a base, a casing for fitting over and covering a portion of the base, said casing having its lower end terminating short of the lower end of the base, a tongue and slot connection between the upper end of the casing and the upper end of the base, a plate connected to the lower end of the base and depending below the same, a short casing having its upper end and rear side open, said upper end fitting over the lower end of the first mentioned casing and being secured thereto, the rear open part of the short casing being closed by the lower end of the base and the plate when the parts are connected together, a latch member hinged to the lower end of the plate and adapted to extend across the bottom part of the short casing, a keeper member on the bottom part of the short casing engaged by the latch member, and means for locking the latch member to the keeper member.

2. In a device of the class described, a base, a casing for fitting over the same and having a portion overlapping a portion of the base, a tongue and slot connection for connecting one end of the casing to one end of the base, a keeper member at the other end of the casing, a latch member for engaging the keeper member, and means for hingedly connecting the latch member with the adjacent end of the base, and means for locking the latch member to the keeper member.

ALONZO M. GETZ. 

